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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25179226">Mistletoe Is All It Took</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin'>Dreamin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Christmas in July 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Stormpilot mentioned, reylo mentioned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:08:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,408</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25179226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose is in love with her best friend, what's it going to take to change their relationship status?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Rose Tico</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Christmas in July 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mistletoe Is All It Took</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts">afteriwake</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>afteriwake sent a prompt -- "Gingerrose prompt: Modern AU, it's Christmas and Hux is "bah humbugging" the season while Rose is full of holiday spirit, and he doesn't get into the spirit of the season until someone else brings out the mistletoe and Hux and Rose get caught under it."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“One more,” Rose said, grinning, just before she placed another shopping bag in Armitage’s hand. He already had his arms wrapped around the bulkiest bag while two more dangled from each hand.</p><p>“It’s becoming all too clear why you dragged me out here,” he muttered. Still, he dutifully followed her out of the latest store and over to her SUV.</p><p>She unlocked the trunk then grinned at him as she opened it. “I needed someone with long arms and enough stamina to survive an all-day shopping trip.”</p><p>Armitage raised an eyebrow as she took the first bags from him. “And what do you know of my stamina?”</p><p>Rose blushed and prayed he’d only think it was from the cold. “You work out all the time, I assume it takes a lot to tire you out.” She busied herself with properly stowing the various bags to avoid meeting his eyes.</p><p>The two of them had been best friends for years and had even started an engineering company together but lately, Rose found herself wanting more from him. <em>It’s like I turned around one day and there he was, hot as hell and I had only just noticed. Not to mention he’s marshmallow sweet under that brittle exterior. And he’s one of the few people I can truly depend on no matter what.</em></p><p>“My stamina may hold out, but my patience is another matter,” he muttered darkly.</p><p>“I heard that,” Rose said, grinning at him as she finally closed the trunk and locked it again. “Okay, next store.”</p><p>Armitage groaned quietly but still followed her back into the shopping mall.</p>
<hr/><p>She treated him to a late lunch once her shopping was done. Armitage was never fond of chain restaurants, especially ones full of kitschy décor, but his growling stomach won out over his taste. Seated across from Rose in a booth as far from the front doors and the cold outside as they could get, he was struck once again by how truly gorgeous his best friend was.</p><p>
  <em>I’d ask her out in a heartbeat if I thought there was even a chance she’d say yes. But no, I’m her friend, nothing more. I should be thanking my lucky stars that she even considers me a friend. No one else does. Her friends tolerate me at most.</em>
</p><p>After they gave the waitress their orders and she gave them their drinks, Rose smiled at him. “Did you get an invite to Finn and Poe’s wedding?”</p><p>Armitage rolled his eyes. “Yes, but I have to wonder at the wisdom of a destination wedding in Orlando.”</p><p>“They want everyone to have fun at Universal Studios, not to mention they’re still boycotting Disney. I think it’ll be a blast.”</p><p>“Are you going to bring a date?” he blurted, the words sneaking past his filter like some resistance fighter getting past a guard.</p><p>It was Rose’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “The wedding’s not for three months, but I seriously doubt it. I’ve had no luck with guys lately. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t know if the problem is them or me.”</p><p>“It’s them,” he insisted, earning him a grateful smile, then more unfiltered words came out. “You’re perfect.”</p><p>She let out an unladylike snort. “Hardly.”</p><p>“You are.”</p><p>“If I’m so perfect, then how come I haven’t had a serious relationship in over a year?”</p><p>“Men are idiots.”</p><p>Rose burst into giggles at his perfectly straight face. “Present company excepted?”</p><p><em>No, I’m the biggest idiot of them all.</em> Thankfully, he didn’t blurt that out. “I suppose.”</p><p>She grinned. “Well, women are idiots too – you haven’t had a serious relationship for longer than I have.” Their food arrived and Rose started on her fries when the waitress left again. “You’re a definite catch, Armie – intelligent, sophisticated, driven, not to mention really hot, especially since you grew the beard.”</p><p>He self-consciously reached up to touch his short beard. “You think so, do you?”</p><p>“Yep. Rey said that if she hadn’t met Ben, she definitely would’ve tried her luck with you.”</p><p>That was certainly news to him, but nothing could surprise him more than Rose thinking he was hot. “Yes, well, she would have been disappointed.”</p><p>“Not your type?” Rose guessed, grinning.</p><p><em>Of course not – she’s not you.</em> “Something like that,” he muttered.</p><p>“Right. Eat, Armie – cold French fries are nasty.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes then dutifully started on his food.</p><p>They were headed back to their part of town when Rose said carefully, her eyes on the road, “I may have told Rey and Ben we’d stop by their Christmas party.”</p><p>Armitage groaned quietly. “That’s tonight, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>The last thing he wanted was to be at a party where he only knew a handful of people. “I’m not in the Christmas spirit.”</p><p>“Are you ever?” she asked, relaxing. “You’re the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge rolled into one. Your secretary tried to decorate for Christmas and you wouldn’t even let her hang mistletoe.”</p><p>“I’m trying to save the company from a sexual harassment suit.”</p><p>She smiled a bit. “It’s only harassment if the other person is offended.”</p><p>“You’re saying I should be like you – strings of lights on the walls and a tree in the corner?”</p><p>Rose giggled. “I think our customers would think you’d been replaced by a pod person.” She stopped at a red light then gave him her most charming grin. “Please, Armie? It’ll only be a couple of hours then I’ll take you home.”</p><p><em>I never could resist her.</em> He sighed heavily. “Very well.”</p><p>“Yay!”</p>
<hr/><p>Rose led the way up the steps to the Solos’ house, a newly-purchased bottle of wine in one hand. Armitage was right behind her, and she prayed he wasn’t going to be the specter at this feast. <em>I gotta get him into a good mood somehow.</em></p><p>A beaming Rey let them in. She and Ben had only been married a month but Rose had to admit that marriage looked good on her best friend.</p><p>They were just passing through the kitchen when Rey said, “Stop!”</p><p>Rose stopped dead, Armitage so close behind her that she could feel his warmth seeping into her and she had to suppress a shiver. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing’s wrong,” Rey said, grinning delightedly. “Look up.”</p><p>She dutifully looked up and couldn’t help the groan that escaped her when she saw they were standing beneath the mistletoe. <em>Oh God, anything but that…</em></p><p>Armitage scowled. “Do you really expect me to kiss Rose just because you hung a plastic facsimile of a tree parasite from the ceiling?”</p><p>“It’s a year of bad luck if you don’t,” Rey said, grinning.</p><p>“I don’t give a damn about bad luck,” he muttered.</p><p>“Not for you – for Rose.”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“The superstition only says girls who refuse to kiss under the mistletoe will have a year of bad luck, it doesn’t say anything will happen to the boys.” Rey smirked. “But I think not getting a kiss from Rose is bad enough, don’t you?”</p><p>Rose threw up her hands in annoyance. “Just forget it, both of you. Armie obviously doesn’t want to kiss me-”</p><p>Her next words were cut off by Armitage pulling her to him and kissing her like they were alone instead of surrounded by her friends. Someone, probably Poe, started whistling and she swore she heard Finn mutter, “Finally!” but all of that faded to background noise as Armitage kissed her. It was full of passion and promise and Rose did her level best to catch up.</p><p>
  <em>I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but damn, I approve.</em>
</p><p>When breathing became a necessity, he ended the kiss but then moved his very talented mouth to her ear, murmuring, “I’ve wanted to do that for far too long. What do you say to us leaving now?”</p><p>Rose grinned, almost giddy with happiness. “We just got here,” she murmured back.</p><p>“Don’t care.” He raised his head to look at the others, who were all grinning like idiots at the little show they’d put on. “If you’ll excuse us, my partner and I have some negotiations to attend to.”</p><p>“That’s one way of putting it,” Poe said, smirking.</p><p>“Have fun,” Rey said, grinning.</p><p>Not waiting for any other responses, Armitage took her hand and led her out of the house and back to the car. Rose couldn’t help thinking that Christmas had come early.</p><p>
  <em>And nothing can beat this gift.</em>
</p>
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